Bay City Masonic Temple, masonic temple in Bay City, Michigan
The Bay City Masonic Temple is a large building made of reddish-brown stone in Richardsonian Romanesque style with rounded windows. The three-story structure has thick stone walls, stands on a corner lot, and features wide entrance steps and a large stained-glass window above the main door.
The building was constructed in 1893 by architects Pratt and Koeppe as a gathering place for Freemasons. A devastating fire in 1903 destroyed the roof, towers, and domes, but the temple was rebuilt and reopened in 1905 with new fire-resistant materials.
The temple was originally a gathering place for Freemasons, a fraternal group with its own traditions. Today, various community groups use it for concerts, theater, and art workshops, transforming its purpose from a private meeting hall to a public gathering space.
The building sits at a corner intersection, making it easy to spot from different directions. The main entrance is reached by wide steps and marked by a large stained-glass window above the door, while a secondary entrance is located in a tower-like structure on the side.
After the 1903 fire, copper from the destroyed domes was melted down and made into souvenir coins for Freemasons to keep. This unusual practice shows how the community transformed a disaster into a lasting reminder of the site's history.
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